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Honoring undergraduate excellence, innovation, and responsible advancement in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) worldwide
Nomination Deadline: 1 November 2026 - 11:59PM EDT
Each nomination requires at least one (1) letter of endorsement. A second letter of endorsement is encouraged but not required. At least one endorser shall not be affiliated with the students’ current institution.
Nomination Questions (pdf) (Under construction)
The IEEE Computer Society Artificial Intelligence Rising Stars Award is an annual international recognition program established to honor undergraduate excellence, innovation, and responsible advancement in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) worldwide.
The award recognizes student-led or mentor-supported projects that demonstrate originality, clear AI integration, and measurable societal or technological impact.
The program encourages the development of AI-driven solutions that advance technology for the benefit of humanity, uphold ethical principles, and foster a global pipeline of young rising stars aligned with the IEEE mission.
Open to students worldwide who are currently enrolled in or have graduated within the last six (6) months from, an undergraduate or equivalent academic program. No minimum IEEE or IEEE Computer Society membership is required for eligibility.
Participation is open to individuals or teams consisting of up to four (4) student members. Each team may include up to two (2) mentors or advisors who may provide guidance and technical support; however, mentors are not eligible to receive monetary awards or formal recipient recognition and must not perform work that would be credited as the students’ achievement.
Projects must demonstrate originality, clear integration of artificial intelligence, tangible and visible outcomes, and compliance with IEEE ethical and professional standards. Eligible work may originate from academic coursework, personal projects, research activities, or early-stage startup initiatives.
Eligible achievements must have been substantially completed within the past 24 months prior to the nomination deadline; ongoing projects are eligible provided that measurable and verifiable results are demonstrated.
Previous award winners are not eligible for substantially the same achievements (per IEEE Policies 4.4: An individual shall receive only one award for a given achievement, unless the significance merits a higher award, which may be given in the following year or thereafter.)
Exceptionally, upon a properly certified request, the Award Committee may extend the eligibility period by up to two full years in cases of documented forced leave that prevents the nominee from working (e.g., parental leave, health issues, or war). The extension, as determined by the Award Committee, will also not exceed the sum of continuous periods (floor rounded to the month) of properly certified forced leave.
Presented Annually. Up to four (4) winning student teams may be selected annually. Each winning team may consist of up to four (4) student members. Each winning team shall receive an honorarium of US$2,000, independent of the number of other awardees, which shall be divided equally among the student members. Mentors are not eligible for monetary awards. The award will be given only if a suitable awardee is identified.
Each student team member shall receive an official IEEE certificate and citation. Each winning team may have up to two mentors or advisors. Each mentor or advisor shall receive an official IEEE mentor recognition certificate. The award shall be documented on an official IEEE Computer Society certificate. The layout shall feature the Award Title followed by a line acknowledging the original contributions from the Alumni of National Taiwan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Tsinghua University (Beijing), and National Tsing Hua University (Taiwan). The certificate layout and use of names shall comply with IEEE Policy 10.1.13 regarding the use of IEEE and third-party marks.
Additional travel support and conference fees for one (1) student representative from each winning team may be considered by the IEEE Computer Society subject to separate budget availability and applicable IEEE travel policies.
The award shall be presented at an IEEE Computer Society sponsored or co-sponsored international conference or technical venue, typically between April and July.
One student representative from each winning team is encouraged to present their project, either in person or virtually, at the discretion of the Award Committee and subject to conference scheduling.
Walter Scheirer, Dennis O. Doughty Collegiate Professor of Engineering - University of Notre Dame
Judging shall occur in two stages: (1) preliminary review of submitted nomination materials and (2) final selection.
To support scalability and ensure review quality, the Award Committee may appoint a Preliminary Review Panel to conduct the initial screening of submissions for eligibility, completeness, technical relevance, and overall quality. The panel shall recommend a shortlist of qualified nominations to the Award Committee for full evaluation and final selection.
To maintain the rigorous schedule leading to a February announcement, the panel may begin administrative screening and preliminary evaluations as submissions are received prior to the final deadline. Members of the Preliminary Review Panel shall comply with applicable confidentiality and conflict-of-interest requirements and shall serve in an advisory capacity only.
To ensure a rigorous and objective selection process, the Preliminary Review Panel and the Award Committee shall evaluate all submissions through an independent, merit-based review. While the integration of video presentations precludes a double-blind process, the evaluation is grounded in a standardized technical rubric to ensure all candidates are judged solely on the innovation, rigor, and impact of their work, free from institutional or personal bias.
Submissions will be assessed across four primary dimensions, with a particular emphasis on creative problem-solving and the potential for "AI for Good" to provide meaningful societal benefits. This structured approach allows the committee to maintain the highest standards of IEEE excellence while efficiently managing a high volume of global nominations.
The Award Committee shall utilize the following weighted rubric to guide the final selection and ranking of nominations:
Each nomination shall include a completed nomination form, a proposed citation of no more than twenty-five (25) words, and a comprehensive description of the nominee’s technical achievements and impact.
The description may include a project summary, a brief video presentation of approximately three to five (3–5) minutes, or other demonstration materials if requested by the Award Committee, technical documentation where applicable, an impact statement, and a personal statement addressing learning outcomes and project experience.
Each nomination must be supported by at least one (1) letter of endorsement from a recognized authority. A second letter of endorsement is encouraged but not required. At least one endorser shall not be affiliated with the students’ current institution.
Final selection shall be determined by a majority vote of the voting members of the Award Committee, provided a quorum is met. The Award Committee retains final authority to edit and approve the citation text.
